Kentucky coach John Calipari complained about his team's seeding on Selection Sunday, but the Wildcats are now positioned to reach the Final Four without playing a team seeded better than seventh.
After one round the Wildcats' stiffest competition was expected to be No. 2 Cincinnati, but the Bearcats collapsed down the stretch in their second-rounder versus Nevada, and are now headed home.
As a result, the South Region's top four seeds have all been eliminated, opening the door for Kentucky to make a run. It's the first time in NCAA tournament history that the four top seeds from any region have been bounced before the Sweet 16.
State of the South:
Seed | Team | Lost |
---|---|---|
1 | Virginia | R64 |
2 | Cincinnati | R32 |
3 | Tennessee | R32 |
4 | Arizona | R64 |
5 | Kentucky |
As for Kentucky, it defeated No. 12 Davidson in the opening round, and No. 13 Buffalo in the round of 32. In the Sweet 16, Big Blue will meet No. 9 Kansas State. In the Elite Eight, the Cats would get either No. 11 Loyola Chicago or No. 7 Nevada.